Justice News

Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Jamaican Lottery Scam

BOSTON – A Georgia man pleaded guilty in federal district court in Boston today in connection with his role in a bogus advance fee Jamaican lottery scheme in which victims were defrauded of more than $1 million.

Peter Anthony Chin Jr., 34, of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, who scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2019.

From 2012 to 2017, Chin was part of a scheme which targeted elderly individuals throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. The victms were informed via phone, email and mail that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery, but that they had to pay the taxes on their purported winnings before the funds could be released. Chin’s co-conspirators directed the victims to mail or wire funds to Chin or to his associates. Chin kept a portion of the funds for himself and then distributed the rest as directed by his co-conspirators, including sending significant amounts to Jamaica. The victims suffered losses of almost $1.4 million.

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; David W. Cronin, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.